Poison and Wine
by NushiKasai
Summary: Poisons had always been one of his strengths. But she had made an antidote; she had outplayed him at his own poisonous game. Now that he was Reanimated and tasked with unleashing poisons against the Allied Forces, he decided that it was time for a rematch of different- and very dangerous- proportions. For him, the board was set. It was time for a game to begin. SasorixSakuraxGaara
1. Chapter 1: Golden Kiss

**Final Naruto Fanfic before finishing one! Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter One**: _Golden Kiss_

_.A toxic flower native to the regions of Suna; upon entering the bloodstream, it will cause the blood to exit the body through the pores. Extremely common in revenge-styled assassinations. _

* * *

The puppeteer ran through the forest, his fingers working furiously at the chakra strings that bound him to his tools. He couldn't count the number, but he estimated that the number of Zetsu enemies he faced was around the high fifties. He and his division squad were forced to retreat- many of their team lay among the injured due to a sudden implication of poison in the enemy's attacks.

"Gah!" Kankuro halted suddenly and turned to his comrade, who had fallen to his knees and was clutching a bleeding wound at his stomach. The puppeteer's skin paled at how easily it seemed the new weapon had bypassed both the puppet defence and the carefully crafted armour of the nin. His comrade flashed him a pained grin as the medic ran to attempt to heal him.

The puppeteer grunted in determination as the Zetsu enemies caught up with them. He flicked his fingers violently and his Crow puppet leapt to stand between him and danger. He cast a quick glance over towards the medic, and noted that the glow surrounding his chakra infused hands was faltering due to the amount of work he had been undertaking all day.

Seeing no other option, Kankuro suppressed his scowl and swiftly manoeuvred his fingers so that Crow's arms were outstretched and faced forward his opponents.

"Get ready," he warned his squad- the wounded and able alike- before he flicked his wrists suddenly in an attack, "_Smoke bombs_!"

Immediately, small balls exited the Crow and were launched at the enemy. Before even seeing if they had reached their target, the puppeteer leapt back and picked up his injured comrade that the medic had not been able to fully heal.  
"Come on!" He called to the medic, who stumbled to his feet as they began to move. He tugged his fingers and felt Crow trailing after them as they fled. "Retreat! Get back to base!"

A cloud of grey rose gently as the majorly injured Ambush Squad was forced to withdraw.

* * *

"Sakura!" Shizune called out to the young medic, who had barely stepped foot into the base before being heralded by the older woman. "Do you have any chakra to spare?"

The pink haired woman in question had spent the day on the battlefield in the division that was the furthest into enemy territory than any of their forces. The past twelve hours had consisted of her battling through reanimated shinobi and the occasional horde of Zetsu. Her ass had been officially worked off, but this was a war.

All hands on deck, as they say. And despite how exhausted she was, her hands were still available.

"A little," Sakura answered to her superior, who then promptly motioned her over towards the table. A young man with dark hair was barely conscious before them; his arm bearing a recent wound and his skin sweating furiously in indication of fever. "What's his situation?"

"Brought in from Surprise Attack an hour ago," Shizune replied seriously, as Tonton brushed her feet with a new delivery probably containing supplies. She bent down and lifted the box off of his shoulders and brushed his neck fondly before sending him away once more and returning to the patient. "The wound would have usually been a minimum-threat case, but some sort of poison has been administered to him that's worsened the process."

The wound was torn open widely; the blood so excessive that it's colour was near black as it covered his skin, and a mixture of pus was able to be seen seeping out at the seams of the wound. The younger woman examined him closely, and noted that his veins were bulging dangerously and were slightly off-colour in proof of the poison.

"Process?" Sakura asked absentmindedly, as she flared her chakra to life and allowed it to coat her hands soothingly, "What do you mean?"  
It was just as she was leaning over the man that her comrade spoke.

"An hour ago, when the patient collapsed, this wound was a small sliver of a cut at his shoulder," Shizune answered grimly. The words made the pinkette freeze in place and re-examine the injury. It had spread from the tip of his shoulder to the joint of his wrist. "The poison must have caused it to worsen."

"I'll say," Sakura softly spoke, allowing her chakra hands run over the wound. Immediately, she faltered in shock.

She prided herself on having become familiar with every component of poison; it was what had saved her life when battling Sasori a few years earlier, so she had honed her skills in that area. She knew the components- meaning she could effectively decipher the poison and concoct a remedy or antidote.

This poison…this was the most complicated thing that she had ever seen.

It was barely noticeable; if she had not been looking for it, she would have never found it. Narrowing her eyes, the young medic determined that the poison must hide behind the excessive blood it caused; meaning that it was washable. Immediately, her head wound around all the possible poison components that had the washable trait.

"I've been working on it," Shizune explained as she applied a cool cloth to the man's forehead. "I'm guessing that it's made of the Golden Kiss."

The Golden Kiss was a plant native to Suna's deserts, and was extremely perceptible to water due to the fact that the plant so rarely saw it.

"Definitely- this level of the washable trait would only be found in a desert flower, and the Golden Kiss is the most potent when infused with… Harrow's Grass," Sakura replied as she mentioned a species of grass found in Kumo whilst her head was whirring around the possibilities and multiple components.

It was complicated; it was one of the most convoluted poison recipes she'd come across. Usually a mixture of the right two components of poison was enough to kill three men quite capably. The enemy was certainly pulling out the stops.

"But Golden Kiss and Harrow's Grass aren't fever inducing," Shizune added on, a frown creasing her forehead and pushing her forehead protector down.

"Meaning that other components are involved, as well," Sakura finished with a sigh of exasperation. It would take time to decipher the poison- let alone create the antidote- and she wasn't sure how long that would take. "Only one person can work on this, Shizune; it requires concentration that cannot be broken through multiple workers."

The other woman nodded, and immediately weighed her choices in her mind. As the leading medic of the base, she had to be available at all times and ready for anything. Sealing herself inside to work on a poison recipe and antidote was not exactly beneficial for the camp- not when there was another present who was able to efficiently do the same thing.

Besides, the current patient wasn't the only one who needed help- and he wasn't the worst.

"Please go and report this to Headquarters before beginning the decipherment, and I'll check on the patient's team-mates that are in worse condition," Shizune answered firmly after a moment, before passing her comrade a notepad and pencil for aid in her decipherment. "If you need help, request it, okay?"

The pinkette nodded, before frowning at the woman's words. She said that this patient had team-mates that were worse than this man; surely there must have been one medic present that was able to at least delay the poison!

"Where is their unit's medic?" Sakura asked, trying to stop the hint of disdain from seeping into her voice, "He'd have some sort of observations that could be useful."

Shizune stopped on her way out and a small frown passed her face as she smiled grimly at her comrade.

"That _is_ their medic."

* * *

Sakura Haruno rushed through the camp with tired feet; heading towards the Headquarters. She'd been with Tsunade when her schedule had been discussed, so she knew that the council of the Kages would be convening. It was the perfect opportunity to tell them of the poison attacks.

But now, she was infuriatingly being denied her help.

"I'm sorry, Haruno-san," the ninja guard at the front told her apologetically, "But we have strict orders to not allow anyone else entry."

Sakura resisted the strong urge to stamp her foot at him, and instead pressed a fist to her mouth in an attempt to quell the irritation she felt.

"This is _important," _she insisted, stressing her last word for the effect, "The Kages need to know!"

The man shook his head firmly, but soothingly. Randomly, the woman he spoke to wondered how he fared in battle against opposition when his approach towards her was so gentle but determined.

"I'm sorry."

She scowled openly this time, and whirled around, scanning the area for any safe walls that she could get away with punching down with whatever dredges of chakra she could summon. She took one step forward when a cool voice interrupted her.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The pinkette whirled around to find Gaara striding towards them; his face withdrawn but still managing to possess the right amount of openness that a leader needed. His body was held high, but there was a weariness about him that only a war could cause.

"Kazekage-sama," the ninja who'd refused her moments ago now bowed low in respect at the approaching man. "I shall grant you entry immediately."

The pinkette fought to contain her seething demeanour, but by the man's flinch of fear, she knew she'd failed. Gaara nodded at the guard, but cast a glance with an emotion that could only be defined as curiosity.

"What did you want to discuss with the Kages?" He asked, and the woman jumped as she realised that he'd overheard her before. A blush lit her face at the thought that her voice had been loud enough to be heard at the opposite end of the corridor.

But then she snapped out of her mood, and told the redhead everything from the afternoon's events.

Because if she couldn't tell all the Kages, she'd just have to settle with one.

* * *

A map was sprawled out on the table before them, and the Fifth Kazekage gestured with his hand towards a certain area.

"Today, the Surprise Attack unit were ambushed by a mixture of Zetsu and reanimated shinobi," Gaara reported stonily, reporting in the stead of his brother, "The ambush occurred on the border between the Land of Lightning and Frost. Our unit suffered multiple poison injuries and were forced to retreat."

Tsunade leant forward and rested her chin on her clasped hands with a thoughtful expression on her face. Around the tables, the other Kages near-mirrored the action.

"The Surprise Attack unit had their medic," the Legendary Sannin noted; having overseen the assignment of the medics to each unit beforehand. "Even if he didn't know the antidote, there are medicinal tactics used to delay the spread of toxins until a battle is won."

"Their medic nin had also taken an injury and was severely depleted of chakra," the Kazekage replied; his voice betraying no indication of whether he was defending the team or criticizing them, "I became aware of the situation moments ago."

The Hokage wasn't satisfied, it seemed, at his answer regarding the medic. She had overseen the assignment of all medics for each team, and she remembered that the Surprise Attack unit had been allocated a very skilled medic due to necessity and likelihood of danger. Their medic wouldn't have been delayed over something so meagre as poison.

Before the war had physically launched, she herself had enforced that medics working at the front would need to be prepared for anything- poison included. Books needed to be read, qualifications had to be necessary.

"Has the medic recovered yet, Kazekage?" she asked the red-haired man, straightening up as a thought slipped into her mind. Something just wasn't adding up properly with the facts given.

Gaara narrowed his eyes slightly in understanding- it seemed that the very same thoughts had crossed his mind too- and he shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"The medic is among the currently incapacitated," he answered as he ran over the information that he had been asked to report, "The members of the medic base have informed me that the poison is a mixture of complicated components and will take time to decipher."

The Hokage's eyes hardened at the thought that Shizune had not yet solved it. If one of her star protégée students had been struggling with the poison, then it was a force to be reckoned with.

"Who do they have working on the decipherment and antidote?" Tsunade asked, running over a list of available medics that would have a chance at succeeding.  
"Sakura Haruno," he replied, the image of the pink-haired woman flashing through his mind. "The commander of the medic base informed me that she arrived as extra assistance."

"Good thing she did," Tsunade muttered as her body physically relaxed and determination flashed in her mind. "I would lend a hand, but"-

"But you're a Kage," the Raikage interjected suddenly, his attitude firm and stubborn, "And there are matters here that we must attend to."

Gaara nodded, and exited the room, accepting the refusal of assistance from the knowledge that the Kages _were _needed at Headquarters and the medics would have to currently make do without the help of their superior.

He returned to the camp, where he swiftly relayed the return message to the woman representing the medics.  
"Of course," Sakura accepted his answer in understanding. She'd spent enough time with Tsunade to realise how much work is needed being a Hokage- especially during a war. "I expected as much. We just thought that they should know."

The Kazekage listened to her in silence, whilst a thought brooded over his head. As a leader, he had to at least try and preserve his emotions for the sake of others, which he had one since he had learnt of the injuries within the Surprise Attack unit.

"My brother," Gaara spoke with a question in his voice. Too long had he held back in order to do his duty first. "What is his condition?"

Sakura blinked for a moment, before remembering that Kankuro had also been on the Surprise Attack unit, and that the Kazekage had obviously been stressed about him.

_And here you were rambling! _Her inner thoughts snapped at her and a small flutter of guilt settled into her stomach.

"Kankuro had old wounds, certainly," she replied, running over in her mind the condition that she had seen the puppeteer in when she had first arrived at the base. He, unlike his team-mates, had not suffered any wounds. "But nothing above a medium-threat case."

The Kazekage allowed himself a sigh of relief, and composed his expression into that of the leader he needed to be once he returned to his own section of the base camp. From the moment he had heard of the condition of the Surprise Attack unit, his heard had been pounding furiously. Of course, he knew that the death of his loved ones was a risk that he was going to have to take in the war, but that didn't make it any less daunting.

But as the Kazekage and the Regimental Leader, he had to reserve such open displays of weakness for when he did not need to appear strong.

"Thank you," he spoke softly, and was about to make his exit, when she suddenly frowned at him, making him stop. "What is it?"

Her brows creased and her eyes glazed over suddenly as she began to recall something.

"Kankuro was cut like the other injured members of his team," Sakura slowly thought aloud, running over his condition in her mind. "He was dealt the same blow as the patients currently fighting for their lives; by all rights, he should have been suffering the same as them! It's almost as if…"

Suddenly, her eyes widened, and a gasp escaped her dry lips that were forming into a perfect 'O' shape at a realisation. The Kazekage had stiffened the moment she had elaborated on his brother- fearing the worse- and did not like being kept in the dark.

"_What _is it?" He sharply asked her, before squeezing his eyelids in an attempt to reign in his impatience.

But the girl didn't seem to notice. Her eyes rose to meet his, and within her gaze there was a spark of enlightenment and it was as though a fire had been lit.

"It's almost as if Kankuro's immune to the poison!" She finished, excitement clouding her tones, "And he is!"

"Explain," Gaara demanded, wanting to understand what she was gushing about. "What do you know about my brother?"

"Oh, how could I have missed this?" The woman nearly hit herself, but then composed herself and continued to explain to the Kazekage what she was talking about. A determined edge settled in her eyes as she spoke. "He doesn't need to fight the poison because he's already done that when he fought Sasori of the Red Sand!"

Gaara had been told of what had transpired after he had been taken by the Akatsuki and he winced slightly at the memory. He understood that his brother had been poisoned by the Puppet Master and left to die.

"So, this is the same poison, then?" He asked, wondering why the cure hadn't already been discovered if this was the case. "The one that you healed him of?"

The pinkette frowned and shook her head at him, but that silly little smile hadn't faded.

"No, not quite," she admitted, "Sasori's was subtle and destroyed cells from the inside; this is more blatantly destructive. But that would mean that I only need to find a few more components to the recipe and add the respective ingredients to the antidote I already know!"

She clasped her hands together energetically suddenly and bowed politely, her feet already shuffling away from him.

"Excuse me, Kazekage-sama, but I have lives to save! Thanks for your help!" With that, Sakura Haruno practically sprinted over to her tents and disappeared from sight.

She left behind a very baffled Kazekage-sama.

He really didn't understand the medics of Konoha. Especially ones with pink hair.

* * *

"_Redbark Marrow_," the pinkette added the final ingredient to her potion and swiftly lifted it off of the test-tube rack. She jotted the final discovered component down on her notepad, and then gave the recipe to the medics beside her. "Alright, administer the cream to the external wound to stop resulting infection, and then either inject or have the patient swallow the liquid antidote."

With that, she rushed over to the grievously injured medic. As she dabbed a generous amount of the cream onto her fingers, she couldn't help but notice how much the patient before her resembled Kankuro- just without the face paint.

With that, she was struck by a moment of nostalgia; of how that day when she had finally felt like she was proving her worth to her friends. To show them her back as she did what they could not. It was a selfish thought, but she wanted to show them that she could be just as good as they were.

She'd proved it. And she'd do it again.

* * *

Cinnamon brown eyes flickered around the room with as much irregularity as a candle flame; his gaze not missing anything. The man blinked once before casting his black-tinged eyes down to his hands where various piles of ingredients sat.  
The Zetsu filed back into the room, and he turned away from them in boredom. Across from where he sat, Kabuto stood patiently in wait for their report.

"How did our new weapon go?" He asked eagerly, with just the slightest trace of malice in his voice, "Did they enjoy it?"

"It worked," was the only answer he received before the creatures slunk off to some crevice of the world that the man did not care to discover.

He began selecting out the next ingredients as he mused over what would be most deadly and artistic at the same time; a mixture of fatality and beauty.

The man could not contain a grin. For he knew that this was the beginning of a game. This first test that he had sent was a challenge that he knew would be recognised.

A challenge that only a very specific kunoichi would overcome.

The game had begun.

* * *

**Goal: 10 reviews (this gives me enough feedback for the next chapter.)**

**Only 1 more! **

**EDIT (25th of July): ****I have been cramming like crazy for midyear exams, but since I will be officially halfway through my exams when the weekend starts, I will be able to alternate between writing the next chapter and studying for the last two exams (which are my more confident ones, so I can spare some studying time :) **

**After Monday, though, I am free! :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Redbark Marrow

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Really? Yeah. **

* * *

**Chapter Two:** _Redbark Marrow_

_.Redbark Marrow; a component extracted from within the bark of Redbark trees found in rather arid climates. It relaxes the body to a state of content, but not enough to allow the patient to fall into sleep. Common ingredient in traditional tea. _

* * *

"Today, the forces of the First Division faced off against various Reanimated shinobi and countless Zetsu," Gaara reported, scanning through the papers he held in his hands containing the details of each major division. As Regimental Leader, he was generally expected to be the one to bring the main information to the meeting of the Kage. "They lost no ground and stand with rostered watches in defence of the impending night attacks."

The other Kage nodded in approval of the report; relieved that they had not suffered so severely in the division. The all-round information from each section of the army had varied from small-threat attacks, to full-scale teams of Reanimated shinobi with direct targets, and some divisions had been treated to no enemy encounters at all. Yet.

The red-haired young man placed the final report on the table; that containing the written events of his own brother's team and their close shave with death. The Kage resisted the urge to wince at how _very _close it had been for most of the shinobi; if Sakura Haruno had not recognised the poison then there may have been casualties. Even his own brother had only been unaffected by chance, and the man refused to consider what he would have done had Kankuro been taken out.

He understood that it was a war, and losses were inevitable, but it certainly didn't make them any easier to deal with. Especially that it was such a new concept to him; bonding and having those who trust you to lead them to safety being killed before his eyes.

He shook his head slightly and pushed his doubts and leadership worries to the back of his mind. That was not the most pressing issue.

"I have been swiftly told that the poison utilized to target the Surprise Attack Squad has now been cured," Gaara announced to the council, who seemed to release a sigh of relief in synchronisation with each other. "Sakura Haruno of Konoha was the medic who deciphered the poison and created its antidote."

Gaara could have sworn that he heard Tsunade mutter something like "My student…" from across the room, but nobody else gave any inclination that they had as well, so he let it slide.

"However," he continued, sifting through the lines of the written report that had been delivered to him on the back of a pig, and finding the smooth, impeccably-neat lines scrawled by the pink-haired kunoichi herself, "Sakuro Haruno seems to find a connection between the poison that was used to attack the Surprise Attack division and the poison that was used to attack both her and my brother three years ago."

A collective tension suddenly ripened in the air, for all the present officials of both Konoha and Suna stiffened in recognition. Stoic as ever, the young man opened his mouth to explain.

"My brother initially faced the poison when he fought Sasori of the Red Sand three years ago, and was defeated," Gaara spoke the words stiffly, and though his tone was not overly different to the way he usually spoke, those privy to the incident in questions understood that these memories were not his fondest. "Sakura Haruno healed my brother of this poison, therefore gaining the experience to solve our issue today."

"So this man, Sasori of the Red Sand," Mei, the Mizukage, interjected with a frown, trying to catch on despite knowing little of the event. "He has allied himself with Madara, then?"

"He's dead."

Yet again, Gaara could've sworn that he heard a muttered, "_My student," _across the room from Tsunade.

This time, the Raikage turned towards her with raised eyebrows, surprised at her blatant acknowledgment of a matter of pride in her students. She sassed him with a flick of her hair before clearing her throat in an indication that she wished to address them all.

Immediately, all eyes trained directly on her and all lips shut tightly in respect. Amongst all of the Hidden villages, one of the Legendary Sannin commanded great honour.

"Sakura Haruno of Konoha and Elder Chiyou of Suna defeated Akatsuki's Sasori of the Red Sand, so this man is definitely deceased," Tsunade explained to the council, this time her expression entirely serious and not an inch of pride to be seen within her chakra-preserved ageless face. "But he would be a great asset, so I have no doubt in my mind that he has been reanimated."

"So you think her theory is right?" The Raikage asked in a tone that wasn't quite condescending, just sceptical. "Sasori of the Red Sand caused this?"

The blonde woman nodded without hesitation, her gaze darkening suddenly as she fully contemplated the meaning of the poison and its coincidental components that only Sakura would understand.

Then it clicked.

"It was _aimed_ at her," Tsunade whispered to herself, pondering over what she knew of the puppet master and his antics. He was an artist; and when an artist is bored, they rack their brains for inspiration and relief from boredom.

She pressed her eyelids shut as she tried to imagine what it would be like for a Reanimation Akatsuki puppet master.

_If I were him, _Tsunade thought, _I'd want to manipulate something. But he's currently being kept away from the battlefield; ordered to use his poison speciality to target the enemy. As an artist, he wants his work to be more than simply weapons; he wants meaning behind it. Every poison he makes must play a part and serve a hidden purpose. _

A purpose. Sasori obviously didn't particularly care about fighting the shinobi; so they weren't his main enemy. But then…

Her eyes lit up suddenly.

"As a Reanimated shinobi_," _Tsunade muttered quietly, her gaze flittering around the room furiously as she thought, "My last memories would have been of my death…and who caused it."

Shaking her head with firm resolve, she met the curious stares of the other officials and raised her voice. It rang with authority through the room and she knew that she would receive none of the doubt that her student's theory had.

"I have reason to believe that Sasori of the Red is targeting Sakura Haruno."

* * *

The pink-haired medic of Konoha exited the tent with a sigh of exhaustion. Her work had spread through many of the late hours, for even though she had safely discovered and administered the cure of the poison to many patients, she still had to heal many of the victims from the damage that they had already sustained.

It was now close to midnight.

Sakura knew that she would be due for the frontlines in Division Four in the morning, so she would need to wake at the crack of dawn. That meant that she was set for a rough, short sleep.

She began to set off, but a flicker of movement caught her eye. Immediately, her instincts kicked in, and her body tensed in preparation for a scuffle; her fingers twitching at her thigh should the need to draw a kunai or shuriken arise.

But there was no need, and the kunoichi relaxed as she saw the source of the movement.

Kankuro was lounging against a pile of boxes near her established resting tent for the night; his arm in a sling and his posture calm despite the chaos of their situation. He was obviously waiting for her, and his searching eyes scanned his surroundings until they rested on her with a 'talk-to-me' look.

The medic shrugged off her previous paranoid thoughts- seriously, what were the chances of being attacked in the middle of the camp?- and made her way over to him.

"What happened to your arm?" Sakura asked with a frown; as she had thought that his condition was near perfect, so there was no reason for him to be injured. Her hands immediately flared to life as the green last, exhausted drops of chakra flowed in preparation of healing what would have to be her final patient for the night.

Before she could, however, the puppeteer stopped her from doing so with a dismissive gesture of his hand.

"Nah, don't worry about it," he shrugged with a grin that showed he was glad of her concern, but that it was unnecessary. "I really brought it on myself- Temari obviously doesn't like it when I read her love letters from the pineapple."

Sakura raised her eyes appraisingly, and quickly deduced that 'the pineapple' was referring to Shikamaru. She was unable to stop her lips from twitching at the thought that the stoic, proud genius would be so romantic as to actually send love letters. No doubt he'd call them 'important missives' or something instead of suffering the humiliation of having 'love letters' tagged to his otherwise impressive reputation.

"You won't be getting sympathy from me, I'm afraid," she replied with a weary shrug and teasing smile, "I've heard that Temari packs a punch."

"Oh, she does," the puppeteer affirmed with a comically grim mutter as he shifted his arm into an indicative gesture. Then he smiled once more before he wiped the lightness out of his expression and faced the pinkette with a sudden air of seriousness. "But that aside; I have something I wish to say to you."

The girl blinked in surprise at the sudden change of mood, but gave a small gesture with her hands to show that she would readily listen to what he had to say.

"I don't understand much about the entire effects of poison," Kankuro began with a slight tinge of red on his face to show that he was becoming a flustered, "But I know enough to realise that my team was in a lot of trouble, so yeah… Thanks for saving them."

Sakura was still for a moment- not really expecting the usually cocky man before her to openly show her such unprompted gratitude- but then her expression broke into a warm smile of acceptance.

"It's my job, Kankuro," she replied gently, as the light of the moon was suddenly obscured by a dark cloud shifting across its face. Her eyes immediately adjusted to see her companion and continue the conversation with ease. "It was probably Sasori's doing, so it's only natural that I would remember the cure I used on you and apply it to the situation."

"Yeah; about that," the puppeteer sobered extremely and stared at her intensely. "I've already thanked you for saving my life, but it needs to be said again now. If you hadn't cured me before, I would probably be among the dead today."

The girl was quite taken aback by his intensity and the vehemence with which he uttered his words, but she understood that he was only like this when he spoke with meaning. He was passionate about this matter, and he obviously wanted her to know how deep his gratitude ran.

He took a step closer and bowed respectfully, which shocked her even further. As the brother of the current Regimental Leader, and an officer of his own division, he far outranked her, and would never usually be seen bowing in such a gesture of politeness to one of her measly rank.

"I owe you my life," the puppeteer rose to a standing position once more and nodded at her to reinforce his words. "And even if our villages fall out after the war, you will always have an ally in me."

Sakura was still shocked at his seriousness, but her surprise went further at his extension of alliance to her. The polite thing to do would be to shut her gaping mouth and thank him profusely- hopefully without spluttering. Her jaw automatically clenched and her lips closed in reaction to her thoughts.

"Thank you, Kankuro," she replied with a beam, placing a tender hand on his shoulder as the atmosphere melted away to a light mood of friendship. "And you will also have an ally in me- I mean, it would be too much of a waste to let you die after saving you already."

The puppeteer grinned as she returned to her former humour, and then he held out his currently uninjured arm in a gesture of polite escorting.

"I'll show you to the spare tents set up for the medics," he told her, as he began to walk forward a little. After a moment, the pinkette came rushing along- the prospect of a tent and a bed…and _sleep_ being too good to pass up.

Kankuro led her through the winding maze of the camp of the main centre of the Allied Shinobi forces, and Sakura couldn't help but marvel at how the talents of each village had been combined in a singular effort to fight the enemy. Every village had a history of violence with another, and therefore that enmity that had been present had been pushed aside in the face of a greater cause- and that alone was a monumental effort for some.

But it also gave her hope.

For if this could happen once under extreme circumstances, then there was still the chance that it could happen again under lesser circumstances. Despite the hatred between some, there was still a possibility of peace.

A smile graced her features, as she knew that her dear friend Naruto would revel in that era. Hopefully, they could fight this war and pave the way for that world so that he would live without the constant presence of danger and being haunted by the beast inside of him.

The night was dark, and even though she couldn't see them, Sakura knew that the edges of their camps were manned by countless guards and watchers; on the constant lookout for the enemy presence. An attack was expected at night, though they were yet to face that. So, with the dusk had brought a grim stalemate; the wounded retreated to the camps, the dead lay to rest and the guard shifts to begin.

Such a peaceful occurrence at night would not last for long, she knew, but it was welcomed while it lasted.

They arrived at a small gathering of tents set near the western exit of the camp, and only a few were occupied. The puppeteer gestured to the closest tent to them, and peeled open the flap to allow her entry.

Inside, was a tiny table, a dying lantern and a makeshift bed in the corner- something that Sakura was _very _happy to see. She didn't expect such luxury on the frontlines, so she was going to savour while she could.

Turning back to Kankuro, she grinned in thanks as he shuffled awkwardly on the threshold; obviously not quite sure whether he should just leave without dismissal or if that would be rude.

"Thank you for bringing me here," Sakura smiled at him and opened the tent flap for him to bow his neck under as he stepped outside once more. "I may see you in the morning. Let your arm heal, okay?"

Then he left and she was alone in the tent, and she finally allowed her expression to fall.

The day's events had left her exhausted and weary in more ways than one. Firstly, she had spent the day fighting off enemies with her division. Secondly, she had to decode the poison attacking the Surprise Attack team and then concoct the difficult antidote.

And lastly, she now had to deal with the fact that Sasori of the Red Sand had been reanimated.

She collapsed on the makeshift bed without bothering to undress; she had nothing to change into because it was all back at the Division Four camp, and she didn't fancy braving the cold of the night wearing nothing. Her hand was placed on her forehead, and she released a long, tired sigh as she realised the possibilities of her future now that Sasori had returned.

Would she survive him again? Chiyou wasn't with her anymore, and even though she was stronger, it was still difficult enough for her the first time around. Another battle, where she no longer held the element of surprise and he would no longer underestimate her, might very well be the death of her.

The war itself gave her enough reason to be scared and anxious; knowing that a very dangerous man who she had assisted to kill had now returned really amplified the fear inside her. She wouldn't let it show, of course, because she here for Naruto and for the other Jinchuuriki that had suffered at the hands of the Akatsuki.

And all at once, her thoughts turned to the Kazekage.

He, like her, was a dear friend of Naruto's and was determined to not allow any harm to come to him. But he had something more than she had; he had an understanding of what it was like to be in Naruto's position. He had suffered because of the beast inside of him, and had died because of it.

Her mind shifted to days long ago, when she was weak and constantly protected by her two other teammates. She remembered being so scared, but so determined to protect those important to her that she stood between a beast and his prey- expecting that she would be killed. She could nearly feel the sensation of the sand grating on her skin as he held her hostage- it was quite a chilling experience.

But then the beast became a man…and a leader.

He was a good Kazekage, she knew that, and when Naruto eventually became Hokage, she expected great things with the relationship between Konoha and Suna. He defined change in all aspects of the word, and had become someone that she could look up to and follow as she was in this war.

Then again, the pinkette knew that _she _had changed as well. Her life had gone from being protected, to being a protector. She had grown strong, and now she was a woman who would fight for what she loved until she died or succeeded. She was proud of herself and the efforts she had taken to become a person who was admirable.

Sakura guessed that she Gaara were alike in that way.

* * *

The man gazed at the vial before him with careful, blank consideration. Not satisfied, he lifted it up higher and scrutinised it heavily.

It was so simple, he decided, that it was a great change of tact. His opponent would be expecting something more convoluted; something designed to confuse her with the thousands of components and characteristics of the poison. So his genius resided in throwing her off in a different way.

The vial glittered at him as it reflected the measly flame of the candle seated on his desk; the only source of light in the entire red-tinged, dark chamber. Underneath his feet, miles below the ground, he knew that there were too many Zetsu to count, and they were all waiting eagerly for their moment to be recalled to the battle field.

This thought gave him a moment of pause; his hands stilled against the vial he held and his body went rigid at the occurrence. Waiting to be called…eagerly listening for their cue from the hangers…how very much like a puppet.

His lip tilted and his fingers twitched in anticipation of loosening the strings of chakra from their tips and latching onto a form that was made merely for manipulating. He could very well turn the battle, he knew, for whichever way he desired- not that he was particularly fussed about either side.

But now was not the time for that. He did not need to find a lifeless puppet to manipulate. He already had one; a kunoichi who believed herself safe behind enemy lines.

Why use a lifeless puppet in his little game when a living one made it so much more delightfully fun?

The swishing sound of robes rustling along the ground was his only warning of another presence, but he didn't need to look away from his own work to know who was there. It was too predictable anyway; the stench of rotting snakeskin and an excessive amount of oil basically gave away the identity of his company.

"You _are _dedicated."

The puppeteer gave no indication that he had heard the words from the other man, but he didn't need to. It would take an idiot to presume him deaf- he just wasn't interested at all. Instead he resumed his movement and placed the vial back into the holder and moved it over towards the flame to keep it warm as its climate insisted.  
Without answering, he stood unceremoniously and began to slowly walk away from the snake-man and over towards the only staircase that would lead underground. In the ruins of the giant structure, the one measly staircase for downstairs was in disrepair and wouldn't last too long if all of the Zetsu clambered their way down it every day, so they were required to move through the ground as was comfortable.

But Sasori was not exactly heavy- nor in any immediate danger of death should he fall.

The sound of his steps grating against the floor echoed throughout the great cavern, and his brown eyes scanned his surroundings as he entered the cavern filled with the countless Zetsu eagerly awaiting the impending violence.

The clone nearest to him brightened up upon seeing him; in that stupid manner he always he did. Apparently, according to Deidara, who had become quite taken to watching him work and chattering needlessly about anything uninteresting, the clone's behaviour was reminiscent of the brat who had replaced him as the exploder's partner.

Not that he was bothered. There wasn't much that bothered him.

"Is there news, Sasori?" The nearest clone asked him, the natural sneer in his voice being irritating enough to have grated on the puppeteer's nerves if he allowed it to. "We are so…eager."

The puppeteer's expression didn't change, and instead he retrieved from his pocket a written note. He would only ever tend to seek out other people for his own gain, it was in his nature. Briefly, he remembered a time when that was different…but that had been too long ago to fully comprehend.

"This is a list of the various plants I would like to have harvested and restocked as soon as possible," he ordered the Zetsu, handing him the list without much ceremony. Then he turned to leave; his troublesome duty over and his work time now free again.

However, the Zetsu obviously did not want to finish the conversation just like that; and were still so excited that they wished to continue blabbering as they did.

"Ne, Sasori, we've heard of your special mission!" The clones called out to him, and he stopped in his tracks in a rare moment of listening. "We've got our own mission; we're going to infiltrate the camp disguised as shinobi we've attacked- starting with the medics so that they'll try to heal us! Isn't it great, Sasori?"

He had heard enough for him to tolerate; he had to listen to enough of Deidara boasting about the petty little fireworks he had the gall to call art, so he wasn't eager to listen to another pathetic fool talking about their own missions of utmost importance.

Besides, their infiltration wouldn't work.

"You won't succeed," he slowly told them before making his way back towards the staircase and ascending the stairs to his workplace once more.

The plan was good enough and may have worked for a time in any other situation, but their biggest mistake was starting with the medic camp.

Because he knew that their largest flaw would be inside that camp; Sakura Haruno.

* * *

She didn't expect to have _that _much sleep. She wasn't going to ask for that much, considering it was her own fault for going to the medic camp to assist them when she was already nearly depleted of chakra.

But seriously…being awoken after _one measly hour_ was just too much to bear.

A hand rested on her shoulder and shook her gently from her slumber, and the very notion angered her. How dare someone take her from sleep? Did they actually realise how hard that she had been working? Did they know how much she had been helping out in the past day?

_She deserved more than one bloody hour of sleep!_

And so it was that her intruder was promptly punched in the face. Or almost was.

For as Sakura's fist rose instinctively to meet what she assumed was their cheekbone, a rustling sound filled the tent and her hand was halted in its movement. Her eyes flashed open wide and then looked down to her wrist to see that a giant strand of sand was wrapped around her skin and was keeping her captive.

It was then that she realised what that would mean.

And sure enough, as she slowly raised her gaze to meet her assailant, her light green eyes meet a pair of stoic dark emerald orbs. The grating of the sand on her wrist refused to loosen despite the small, non-committal tugs she gave.

"Kazekage-sama," her tongue unconsciously flickered out to wet her dry lips as she gasped in shock. "I-I'm so sorry, I just"-

"I apologise for waking you."

His brusque words took her off-guard, for she expected him to silently wait out her embarrassingly spluttered excuses, and then explain himself. She certainly didn't expect him to apologise immediately to her.

"It's fine," she replied after a few moments silence, and then shook her head slightly to clear off her mind. "I have a short fuse; really, Naruto could have warned you that waking me is a suicide mission."

_Wow_, the pinkette thought to herself dryly, _telling the Kazekage and Regimental Leader about your sleeping habits like he actually cared. Brilliant. Couldn't have done that any other way, hey?_

But surprisingly, the red-haired leader was frowning in a mixture of what appeared to be confusion and interest. Slowly, and with an amount of gentleness that she wouldn't have thought applied to him from previous experience, the sand fell away from her wrist, leaving small grain shaped marks as the only proof it was there.

"I should have been more considerate," Gaara softly told her as the sand that had held her wrist now retreated back into the gourds strapped across his back. "I know how little you have slept due to the necessary requirements of assisting in the medic camp."

"Yeah, I guess," Sakura replied with an embarrassed smile as her head tiredly ran a hand through her dishevelled hair. "I'm returning to the front lines soon, so I was looking forward to a little bit more of a rest, but I suppose that this is a war!" She faked a peppy tone with her last words, but then something occurred to her- something that probably would have occurred to her much sooner if she had actually been wide awake and rested. "I don't mean to be rude, Kazekage-sama, but why are you here?"

Gaara blinked for a moment, and then his expression sobered into a dutifully serious one. Usually, he was simply just serious and stoic, but when he became as he was now, it meant that he was not only speaking for himself, but for others as well.

And right now, Sakura had a fair idea of who those 'others' were.

"Please forgive me for the harsh interruption, but there is no alternative," Gaara quietly spoke to her, but there was an edge to his voice- one of unspoken authority- that made people stop and listen. "Sakura Haruno, you are being summoned to a private audience with the Kage Council."

She probably should have expected it, but she was quite tired. She wasn't really in the right state of mind to be expecting much at all.

There was no room for deliberation; if she refused to follow Gaara, she knew he wouldn't force her, rather, he would allow her mentor to drag her kicking and screaming before them instead. So yes, the smartest thing to do would be to follow him.

"Lead on," the pinkette gestured tiredly with her hand before it was brought to her lips in order to stifle a yawn.

The red-head watched her for a moment longer, as though he was deliberating the risks of not forcing her go the council and rest for her wellbeing instead, but decided it was too risky. He had seen the violence of the Hokage- he wouldn't readily wish that upon any ally of his.

He stepped out of the tent, and politely held the tent entry flap open for her. The pinkette half-heartedly brushed her stiff and weary fingers through her hair in an attempt to neaten her image for the members of authority she would soon be facing.

"Before we leave," Gaara broke the silence quietly, and the tone of his voice demanded attention- attention that she was all too happy to give if it meant a relief to her aching legs. "Do not fear about your lack of sleep."

Sakura frowned, but then realised that she must have been acting so selfish! She knew that Gaara had been unable to sleep for years due to the beast inside of him.

But why bring that up now?

"You will have the chance later on today," Gaara informed her as the sand sped out of his gourds in preparation for the movement to the council. He fixed his gaze steadily on her confused eyes as he spoke his next words, "You won't be returning to the front lines today, Haruno."

* * *

Tsunade was not happy to say the least.

Not only had her student been worked to the bone with the decipherment of the bloody poison; she had only been given a blink of a sleep to recover! The Hokage knew that if she was in the same position, she would've obliterated everyone in a mile radius just to get peace and quiet.

But then again, she knew with a sobering expression; it was necessary. Too necessary in this time of war.

With the enemy pulling out every stop and attempting to exploit every one of their weaknesses, this meeting with her student was imperative.

"Sasori of the Red Sand is a dangerous enemy to have," Tsunade announced not only to the other Kages, but also to her exhausted, chakra-depleted student who stood swaying on her feet before them. "He is a master puppeteer, an intelligent psychopath and an adept creator of lethal poisons.

"He will be a great asset of the enemy," the Raikage added on with a nod, having met quite a few '_Sasori' _characters in his years. "He's probably enjoying it, too."

This comment made Sakura poke her head up, and his words roused her from the strange state of half-sleep that she was in. Usually, she wouldn't dare be so rude to the Kage Council…but she was so tired. And she definitely needed to be here, for some reason.

"He's not enjoying it," Sakura interrupted- something that she would _never _do on a general basis. In fact, the council were quite shocked that she even dared; so shocked, it seemed, that they were actually silent. Using this as an opportunity, she pressed onwards. "Sasori is a controller; a puppet master, and these poisons are his art. He won't like being _ordered_ around in regards to what he considers his art."

Tsunade's lip twitched into a smile as her student gave them a lecture on the behavioural tendencies of the puppet adversary they faced. The Hokage knew that if the positions had been the reversed, she would have done the exact same thing to the council.

Her gaze twitched over to the other Kage; the Raikage appeared slightly miffed at having his comment rebuked, but otherwise accepting of her answer. The Tsuchikage was watching the pinkette closely, as though to determine what the rest of them already knew. The Mizukage was obviously amused; hiding and stifling a giggle behind her delicate hand. The Kazekage, on the other hand, was unreadable; peering at the young kunoichi with a slight frown that not even Tsunade could decipher.

"You seem quite knowledgeable about this Sasori," Mei, hid her smile as she spoke underneath her fringe and the brim of her Mizukage hat.

"I guess," Sakura conceded with a nod, realising that she probably was one of the most currently available shinobi with extensive knowledge on the puppet master. "I learnt a lot about him from Chiyou and by fighting him."

Tsunade exchanged one final glance with all of the Kage, just to reaffirm what they had decided. Finding no refusal, the Hokage straightened up immensely, and stared down at her exhausted student.

She wasn't even sure whether the pinkette would hear her properly, but she had to speak regardless.

"On the basis that you hold the most experience in fighting Sasori of the Red Sand's attacks," Tsunade began with a loud, announcing voice, "We as the Kage Council have decided to appoint you the Commander of the Combative Toxins unit- a unit specialising in battling the poisonous attacks of Sasori of the Red Sand."

If she wasn't fully awake already…then _that _announcement would have definitely woken her up.

* * *

**Thanks for all the kind reviews and feedback I've received from the last chapter! I didn't expect so much support! I try to reply to every one of my account-based reviews, but please let me know if I've missed you.**

**Also, sorry for the lack of updating- MIDTERM EXAMS UGH. But on a positive note, I crammed so much and I passed every one of them! :D **

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	3. Chapter 3: Viridian Salt

**Disclaimer: refer to previous chapter please.**

**I know that Sasori isn't there too much yet, but realise that his presence in the story CURRENTLY revolves around this game he wants to play with Sakura. **

* * *

**Chapter Three: **_Viridian Salt_

_.Tiny seeds of the common, desert-based Sand Flowers. Known for the extreme swelling effect that it causes upon entering the body if consumed in large dosages. Small amounts are commonly used in traditional meals of Suna._

* * *

Every division had their assigned watchmen.

Mostly, the position was held by Hyuuga clansmen, but there was the odd shinobi in each sub-unit that had a certain skill capable of being utilised for locating incoming enemies. Such was the case of Shino Aburame, whose steady mind was already sensing the movement and placement of each and every watchful insect he possessed.

They were spread out far and wide along the boundary of the medic camp; their position vital in the protection of the medics within their walls who left themselves quite defenceless as they tended to the injured.

Ever since his group had merged with members of the Second Division earlier in the day, they were assigned here for the time being. They were occasionally met with wandering shinobi seeking medical assistance from the fruits of their first day in war, but now that night had fallen, that number was beginning to decrease.

Those who had needed medical assistance had already sought it- some of the injured had already begun the trek back to where their division was situated. The army had its warriors healed up and ready to reset the game for another day.

Well, except for Neji Hyuuga.

Shino contained the sigh he felt at the thought of the stubborn man he could sense laying down further down their boundary line. His eyes were straining from the force of over-exertion, it wasn't exactly unexpected. The bug-man certainly wasn't a medical expert, but even he could gather that eyes were exceptionally delicate areas of the body, and shouldn't be trifled with.

But the arrogant Hyuuga refused to seek help for his issue, despite the fact that the medic camp was just behind them.

He resisted the urge to shake his head because now certainly wasn't the time to indulge in such meaningless behavioural antics, and instead moved closer to the edge of their protective boundary.

Seated firmly upright and with a steady, taut-veined stare directed out into the area before them, was his teammate Hinata Hyuuga. The Hyuuga that he hoped carried a little bit of modesty and therefore intelligence- which was more than he could say for Neji.

"There's no need for that," Shino announced himself in his blunt, not-exactly-sensitive manner, crossing his arms as he also directed his gaze unnecessarily out towards the forest where the enemy lay in wait. "Byakugan isn't needed yet; my insects have the area scoped out perfectly well. Save your technique until later."

The woman didn't budge; her head not even moving to face him and instead continued to resolutely hold her firm stare out into the darkness- her determination to catch the first glimpse of an enemy overshadowing her usual tendencies.

The bug-man watched her out of the corner of his eye for a moment, and marvelled to himself at how his teammate had grown. If the situation had been occurring in another circumstance, the woman would have blushed and probably bowed her head in embarrassment. Now though, she was determined to succeed.

"I appreciate your concern, Shino," Hinata replied to him, her manners shining through her words, but her tone displaying none of the meekness it usually did. Instead, there was only determination. "But cousin Neji is down, and I will not allow the division to fall due to his absence."

The bug-man was about to interject and reiterate the fact that his insects were more than capable of scoping out the enemy should they wish to attack, but his teammate continued onwards- still not sparing him a glance.

"The Byakugan can notice certain things that your bugs could not," the woman told him, her hands shifting to get in a more comfortable position from where she knelt. "This war is for Naruto, Shino. Failure is not an option."

The bug man let out a small 'hn' sound, and then stepped back away from the boundary, knowing that he would only be distracting his teammate should he remain near her.

Uzumaki Naruto.

The small kid whom everyone had maintained a special sort of irritation for years ago. Now, he was the hero of Konoha, and everyone respected him in a way that few could have ever imagined. Where once the foolish dream of a little brat to achieve the position of Hokage had been scorned, now it was swiftly becoming a very real possibility.

Uzumaki Naruto. Somehow, everything seemed to come back to him.

The man leant back against the rock and kept a close eye on his scouting bugs for news. His attention never had to be raptly focused on his insects; they were fairly efficient in alerting him of irregularities, and even if they were killed he would always note their disappearance from his senses and send another to the same area as backup.

In one of his particular moments of weariness, he turned to face the medic camp he was helping guard. Inside the protective walls of their boundary, the healing shinobi were fighting their separate wars with the bodies of patients. Throughout the camp, he saw maimed, bleeding and dead figures being transported.

But at this particular moment, it appeared as though something very different was happening.

He noted minor messenger shinobi- those who were assigned small-distance communication tasks that the telepathic technique would have been wasted on- were running through the camp and walking into random tents with a professional air.

Narrowing his eyes in curiosity, the bug man knelt to the ground and held his sleeve against the rock face. Crawling out from inside the clothing, a small bug made its way into the night and immediately began to wander down the cliff and towards the camp he guarded.

Patiently waiting, Shino returned to his feet and attuned his senses with a certain bug. A particularly strong vibe from his scouting insects would alert him of an enemy even when he wasn't focusing on them all properly, so his ability wasn't being wasted as he turned his attention elsewhere. Besides, since Hinata was being quite stubborn, she would be able to pull up the rear if he failed.

Eventually, his bug entered the medic camp and swiftly made its way over to the nearest tent that had recently become acquainted with a messenger shinobi. It latched itself onto the man, who Shino recognised to be a part of the main camp- which was basically nestled near the medical based camp, so his journey had certainly not been a long one.

From his position on the mountain, the bug relayed the information it was witnessing back to its host.

"I'm awake, you know?" A wizened old man was saying, as he began to shuffle out of his bed whilst fixing the robes he wore. He wore a strange turban styled hat on his head that made Shino assume that the man was probably from Suna. "I was just pretending to sleep."

"I apologise for the interruption, Ebizou-jiisama," the messenger replied swiftly, bowing slightly in accordance to his manners. When he rose, his expression was extremely serious. "But the Kazekage and Regimental Leader has requested you personally for a new sub-unit that has been formed overnight."

The old man was probably surprised- the only thing that the spying bug could use to support that theory was the gasp that escaped his lips. His eyes were too crinkled and beady to be able to wean anything else from him.

"I hope you understand that I cannot fight as well as I once could," he gave the messenger a meaningful glance, gesturing to his body. "Once, perhaps, but no more. But I assume this division requires my expertise in another matter."

The younger man nodded and the Elder sighed to himself, as though bracing his mind in anticipation for what was to come, and gestured with a hand in an almost impatient gesture for the message to be read.

"Our opponents have been consisting of White Zetsu clones and revived shinobi, Ebizou-jiisama," the messenger explained, telling the old man what he already knew. "Among them is your great-nephew Akasuna no Sasori."

The man stiffened in response to that name, but gave nothing else away as the younger continued as though there was no issue or tension in the conversation.  
"Akasuna no Sasori is exceptionally skilled in the construction of poison, and one division has already tasted an attack at his hands," the messenger continued, shifting his weight slightly from discomfort of standing too long, and Shino's bug had to scuttle across to the opposite end of the shoe it was seated on to avoid detection. "Due to such a potentially crippling threat, the Kage council has created a Combative Toxins unit, and they have assigned you to its ranks."

The messenger finished with a slight nod of his head, satisfied that he had completed his mission without worry. His audience neither said nor showed any response.

"The unit will be situated in tents Three, Five and Seven," the younger man bowed dismissively, and made his way to leave. "You will be expected to attend the briefing tomorrow morning in the main headquarters building on the morn. I apologise for the intrusion, Ebizou-jiisama."

Shino's bug deliberately dropped off of the edge of the messenger's shoe and fell to the ground. Seated on the protective boundary, Shino repressed the irritation he felt as his spying bug landed on its back and had to struggle around for a few moments until managing to regain proper footing.

Lifting its body up, it scouted the area and noticed the old man had not moved from his position despite the fact that he was now 'alone.'

His beady eyes gave nothing away as he stared off at a spot into the night outside of his tent; though the solemn downturn of his mouth gave the impression that he was recalling something. Well, Shino assumed his thoughts were on his great-nephew, as the messenger had said he was one of their dangerous and direct enemies in this war.

He wouldn't exactly be overjoyed at the prospect of fighting his family.

"So it's come to this, hmm?" The old man muttered to himself, casting his gaze to the ground. "Sasori."

That name caused Shino to frown. Had he seen it in the Bingo book? Possibly. But there had to be something else; he remembered it from somewhere directly, and now the fact that an entire division was being created to combat this one man only furthered his curiosity.

He sent a quick command for his spying bug to return to him on the boundary, and then focused his attention fully back onto his present situation.

"Hinata," Shino interrupted his teammate for a moment, relying on the fact that her memory might succeed where his had regrettably failed. He stepped forward up to her level so that she would not feel bad about not turning to face him and break full focus from her duty. "Have you ever heard the name Akasuna no Sasori?"

The girl frowned for a moment, the creases in her forehead folding over the tips of her Byakugan eyes as she attempted to concentrate on two things at once.

"The name sounds familiar," Hinata softly replied, clenching her fists in determination, "I think I heard it from Neji. Why do you want to know?"

The bug man grunted to himself in annoyance, as he stepped back away from her with a new purpose in mind. If he wanted his curiosity sated, then he would have to have a bit of a talk with Neji Hyuuga when he had the time.

"Something one of my bugs overheard," he answered, being surprisingly forthcoming, as he returned to his post of standing still and watching his surroundings. "He's one of the Reanimated. He must be pretty talented with poison, considering the Kages have created an entire division to combat him."

"An entire division?" Hinata repeated in surprise, not expecting their superiors to go to that extent for one man. "He must be a serious threat."

Shino made a noncommittal 'hn' sound before turning back around to face the medic camp. His watchful eyes observed the messengers darting through various tents of the camp and undoubtedly passing on the same message that had been delivered to Ebizou.

An entire division set for one man.

He frowned to himself and rummaged his hands further into his pockets before dropping a few extra bugs on the ground with the orders to survey the camp and its inhabitants. He wanted to be careful, as his instincts were being set alight for some reason, and he knew from experience that he was rarely wrong.

Something suspicious was going on here, he knew. He didn't like that.

Hinata said that this Akasuna no Sasori must be a serious threat. Shino's basic instincts couldn't help but agree with her. He probably was a very serious threat to stir the Kage into such a dire action.

But a threat to who, exactly?

* * *

Dawn was fast approaching, and for Gaara of the Sand, it couldn't have been more unwelcome.

His night had been occupied with various meetings of shinobi officials, and his presence had been in high demand from many of the nearby camps. Thus far, he was nearly as sleep-deprived as the young kunoichi apprentice of Tsunade's.

_Sakura Haruno._

His memories of her were not vast and mainly consisted of _that _time, where she had so fiercely resembled the uncle who'd betrayed his love, and after that there were only scattered encounters over the next few years. Mostly, he recognised her out of association through Naruto, but she certainly had made her own, unique impact on him.

His first impression of her had been that she was a rather plain girl who reeked of weakness. For people like her, who he thought hid behind the safety of others, he reserved a special sort of disgust.

But then she had stood against him, and that idea of weakness was shattered in an instant. Her face; with an expression so sharply reminding him of his deceased uncle, rattled him. When he killed someone, he intended them to remain out of his life- never to return. He never thought that his uncle would haunt him.

And so, using the mercy and control that he'd never possessed, he spared the girl's life. He would have killed her in any other circumstance.

He sank down into the chair seated beside his table, and winced as memories decided to flood his mind. His hand, calloused from years of contact with the sand and the sheer harshness of his surroundings during childhood, clenched reflexively at the thought of his former personality.

Now was not a good time to be taking a trip down through memory lane. Not during a war. This was a time where he needed to be in control of himself and allow his persona to reflect onto the entire regiment he commanded.

If he was unsettled, then his followers would notice.

A sigh escaped his lips, as his tumultuous emotions returned to their normal, settled state and his fingers gradually relaxed their firm grip. His crinkled robes shifted and made new patterns on their own fabric as the Kazekage stretched and leaned back against his chair wearily.

The head of the chair hit the back of his neck, and the redhead allowed his eyes to fall shut. If only he could snatch these few moments of restfulness, perhaps he would make the tiresome day through.

But as ever, his leadership-oriented mind bombarded him with a mental check-list of what would need to be done during the day.

Firstly, he would need to organise his shinobi and ready them for a day of battle. They hadn't suffered a heavy attack yesterday, but their position was a ripe one for the enemy to attempt to seize, and so an onslaught was expected.

But there was another issue at hand, one that he would have to deal with prior to meeting with his soldiers. He had to gather the selected members of the newly registered Combative Toxins and introduce them to their new leader. The pink haired kunoichi was likely to still be abed due to the exhaustion she had displayed hours earlier, and none of the guards nearby would have the courage to rouse her from fear of consequences.

Maybe he'd get Temari to do that.

"Kazekage-sama?"

The man blinked in weariness as the voice of his second-in-command interrupted the peaceful silence he'd been surrounded with moments earlier. He immediately straightened up and assumed his formal expression as he turned to face his newfound company.

Shikamaru Nara and the Kazekage's sister entered, though Gaara didn't see their joint presence as much of a surprise. Even he, who had no experience with the notion of relationships, understood the tension of a romantic nature that existed between the two who stood before him.

"Sorry for interrupting," Nara said, though the dry, harsh edge to his voice showed that he had had possibly just as busy an evening as his superior. He and the blonde woman walked slowly up to the on Kage and promptly dropped a report onto the table before them.

Gaara eyed it wearily, having seen far too many of them overnight than he would have rather seen.

"This is the list of the shinobi you wanted to join the Combative Toxins unit," Shikamaru informed him, nonchalantly crossing his arms behind his neck and closing his eyes with the tiresome effort he had been exerting since the war had begun. "I've sent them all messaged orders to meet outside the assigned tents in the medic camp."

The Kazekage nodded, and ran over in the mental map of the camp in his mind where the tents were located. He had planned them out the night before; carefully thinking about where the C.T unit would be best situated to efficiently answer the call of a new issue as quick as possible. He had decided to have them inside the main medic camp- just out of the way of the heaviest bustle of associated war injuries but safe and near to the centre in case of emergency.

Their leader, Sakura Haruno, had already been escorted there the night before. Currently, she was likely to be sleeping soundly inside the unit leader's tent of the assigned area. She would need to be woken up and briefed for her new schedule for the day.

"Temari, I will send you to the medic camp," Gaara ordered his sister, and his voice had lost none of his usual conviction despite the fact that his body language and lack of energy told a very different story. "Please wake Sakura Haruno and brief her for the unit."

Nara watched him warily for a moment; his genius' mind observing more than the red-head was comfortable with, but he let it slide. Using her strange, alarmingly correct sisterly instincts, however, Temari scrutinised him with narrowed, beady eyes of suspicion.

"How many hours did you get of sleep last night?" She asked sharply, obviously reaching the correct conclusion that her younger brother was much sleepier than usual.

The red-head flicked his eyes up to meet hers with what he called a glare, but in his rather exhausted state, it could only be called a grimace.

"That's none of your business," he scowled, turning to the side and breaking their eye contact. It didn't work, and he could still feel her stare. Eventually, he knew it would be better to just relent instead of dragging the affair on. "Four hours."

"You're not going to lead the division today," Temari told him- ordered him, more like- and put her hands on her hips to show her authority. The wind fan latched onto her back remained rigid and still despite her movement. "You can't afford to, Gaara."

The Kazekage narrowed his eyes and for a moment, there was an angry thought in his mind that he had not seen for many years.

_She orders me in such a manner?_

The very thought brought images to his head; memories of sand tainted with red, the distance others- and eventually he too- established between each other and the monster that lurked in his mind. Gaara hadn't fully been aware of what Shuukaku was until he was older, but even as a child, there had been a voice whispering into his mind; coaxing him into growing like a mock interpretation of a fatherly figure.

Until he had realised that his beast was certainly _not _to be looked up to in the way a fatherly figure should. For some time, Gaara had tried to ignore him; push out the whispers in his mind that tempted him sorely. He had longed to show his power, for that was what the village wanted from him, right? Power…Power without remorse.

There eventually came a stage where he was no longer able to differentiate the beast's whispers from his own. Where the threats and lust of a sadistic nature melded into his own personality like a virus latching onto a child as it grew.

As his thoughts spiked, the sand within his gourd began to shift; his connection to it apparent as it riled whilst he did. It brushed against the tightly compressed space it was confined in and the redhead could almost hear the cry of every single grain to be released and do his bidding.

But _this_ wasn't his bidding.

He firmly shut his eyes as the image of sand mixing with red flashed through his mind. His company stood in silence; the situation rather unusual for their leader who would be stoic and composed at all times, but they knew better than to press him for information yet.

Not that that would hold Temari back for too long.

"Inform the Kage and my regiment that I will be spending the day establishing a unit of utmost importance," Gaara finally addressed his sister, his expression carefully guarded, but not well enough to hide the weariness showing clearly in his gaze. He turned to face Shikamaru, whose lazy disposition had not faded, but had certainly stiffened slightly in the unexpected behaviour of his leader. "I temporarily appoint you captain of the division, Nara-san. Temari will be the second."

His company stared at him for a moment, as they had entered his tent with the expectation of confronting, blackmailing and then eventually forcing their leader in a day of less stress. They had not predicted such an early submission.

But they understood that something was wrong- especially Temari. She had seen that expression before, years ago, when the beast reigned viciously in his mind.

"Is there anything else?" Temari asked him, the tight politeness in his voice easily telling him that she wanted to ask into his wellbeing…but her pride didn't allow her to openly do so. Ah, the customs of Suna's education.

The redhead understood her concern; she had been in fear for most of his existence in her life. He had done nothing but breathe further sparks into that fear and cause it to grow; revelling in the power it brought him.

The beast had done this to him; planted thoughts in his mind that still continued to plague him long after the monster's absence from his body. He had control over them, and whilst the odd situation would arise that would spike the tinge of remaining fury in his head, the thoughts and memories of pain, hatred, and lust for such a reaction of fear and terror would bury themselves beneath the surface of his composure.

He guessed that this war was taking a far greater toll on him than he had expected.

"I am well," Gaara spoke softly, staring at her intently to let her know that her concern was unnecessary as his moment of slipping control faded back inside of him. "And I trust that the unit is in good command."

The two of his companions gave him a small grateful expression, but the worry remained. Even the atmosphere still contained the terse environment of his own thought's creation. Even though the beast had not resided inside of him for many years, the one-tailed demon still managed to cause him grief.

It wasn't exactly wrong of people to assume that his personality had changed- the sudden disappearance of the bloodlust, the dark whispers in his ear and the connection to a beast that craved violence left him feeling like a blank canvas. Emotionally, he hadn't matured properly, and so he had to rely on what he had seen from others to be able to move on.

"_I will always protect the people I care about!" _

The image came unbidden into his mind; the glittering eyes of an exhausted fellow Jinchuuriki and the way his words had been spoken with such vehemence that it had left Gaara confused. The boy he once was had never faced an opponent that had simultaneously defeated and saved him.

Naruto had loved ones that he would fight to protect. But Naruto wasn't here, and it was partly Gaara's fault. So that left the responsibility of protecting the blonde boy's loved ones to the him and the rest of the Allied Forces.

And it went without saying that Haruno Sakura was among the people precious to Naruto.

"I suggest you return to your division, sister," Gaara spoke up, as he stood and the chair behind him scraped roughly against the stone-ridden floor as he did so. The robes he wore were crinkled, but were loose enough to fall back into place without much insistence from him. He crossed his arms in his usual, stoic fashion and gave his company another once over for good measure. "I will return to the battlefield tomorrow. If you need to contact me, you will know where I am."

He caught the unconvinced glare his sister sent him as he departed, but he didn't care.

Despite the thoughts that had carried on since the years of his connection with the one-tailed demon, there was a reason that he had snapped out of his darkest state. He was here to protect his friend; the boy that had reached out to assist him when he could have kicked him while he was down. Collaterally, he would do everything possible to protect those that Naruto loved as well.

And if Haruno Sakura happened to fall under that category, then so be it.

* * *

The morning light lit up the interior of her tent; the dust and scatterings from the ground shining in the diluted rays of the sun as they floated through the air.

The girl was curled up in her new bed; a bed which saw to her comfort much more than her previous one had. Not that she was complaining; she had been so tired that she would have been content to pass out on the floor if it meant attaining rest.

Sakura shut her eyes and tried to recapture that sense of sleepiness that she had felt merely seconds ago, but it was to no avail. Her body had rested now, and it was time to wake. With a sigh of annoyance, she blinked wearily and pushed her lethargic body into a sitting position.

The blanket that had wrapped her in a cocoon of warmth moments earlier now fell down to her hips and a chill of the cold morning air sliced through the thin undershirt she had worn to sleep- her shinobi war vest lay discarded at the edge of her bed. Her hand raked through her pink strands of hair that tickled the skin of her shoulders as she began to move.

She stepped out of her bed and stifled her yawns as she tossed her head upside down. Her hands gripped the majority of her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail in preparation for the day's events. The woman straightened back up and began to dress.

Minutes later, she exited the tent and went exploring. She knew that until was called by the Kage or an official, it would be the wisest option to remain in the main base of the Allied Forces. She reflected on the decision of the council; the decision to keep her in the medic camp and appoint her an entire unit in case of Sasori's poisonous attacks.

She had fought Sasori before, but that didn't make her an expert of him. And he was smart, she remembered, and stood a fair chance of being able to out-manoeuvre her in his attacks. Those chakra strings; the sliver-sized threads of roaring energy undeniably chilled her. When she was connected to Granny Chiyou in their battle, there was understanding. They were fighting together- Sakura was no puppet.

But during that battle, the pinkette acquired an acute sense of the other strings webbed around their battleground. When she smashed an enemy puppet, her fist connected not only with the sturdy wood, but with the chakra that was lodged around it.

There had been such a raw thrum of a commanding will in his chakra strings. He had been a puppet, and claimed to possess no ability to register human emotion, but the strings that manoeuvred his tools held a glimpse of an effortlessly…_controlling _personality and she had been forced to remind herself that those strings belonged to an object and not a human being.

At the thought of his chakra strings, and what she sensed within them, the girl stopped suddenly; her form motionless underneath a giant building hanging off of the edge of the cliff above them. The shade covering her from the morning light was not the only cause of her shiver.

Why was this job given to her? Sasori was a puppet _master _and Sakura had only survived out of her strong will to find Sasuke and the aid of Granny Chiyou.

Sakura was certainly not on her enemy's level; he was a _master _and she was still a student.

Besides, Sakura wasn't the only medic in the camp; Shizune was the commander of the medics! If there was anyone more suited to the job of the Combative Toxins leader, than it was Shizune. She had been the Tsunade's student for much longer than Sakura had, and was much stronger.

But then again, Shizune already had a division to lead; a much larger division than what Sakura had been given.

_Besides,_ her inner thoughts whispered, _weren't you just thinking about how strong you are last night? _

"Sakura!"

The pinkette was snapped out of her rather snide thoughts and turned to face the voice to her left. Running towards her with an arm supported by a professional sling was Tenten; her free hand waving in greeting and the rest of her body appearing battered but otherwise unharmed.

Sakura smiled warmly as her friend approached her, and she began to walk so as to meet her halfway.

"It's good to see you, Tenten," she replied as she wrapped her arms around the other girl; being careful as to avoid brushing her injured limb. "What's your damage?"

The girl grinned cheerfully, her attitude screaming that she was rather unconcerned with her injury. That was Tenten; she would only really consider herself invalid if her trouble was exceptionally difficult to overcome. Sakura partially admired her for her stubbornness with that, but the worry-wart inside of her said that such an attitude would cause trouble for her friend later on during her life.

"A few nasty hits by a Reanimated," Tenten told her, gesturing to her leg where the material in her pants had been cut jaggedly by a kunai. "And the broken arm, obviously. People were a little worn out by other business here so my arm gets to take a seat back and wait for a while until someone's able to heal it."

Sakura flexed her arms and immediately dug into her chakra reserves in preparation to be that 'someone'.

"I've rested well enough to heal a broken bone," she said with a smile, reaching forward in order to begin. "This is nothing, trust me."

Before she could start, however, Tenten swiftly pulled away and stepped back.

"No, you need all the chakra you can get," Tenten firmly told her, smiling apologetically as she relaxed. "You're in Lee's division and you guys are going on the frontline. I'm not risking anyone dying because you were chakra depleted."

Sakura frowned at her friend's words, the events of the past night rushing over her like fire in an instant, and she realised fully for the first time what they would mean on a long-term basis.

There was a very high chance that she was not going to be fighting on the frontlines. She would be tucked away in the centre of a medic camp.

Being protected.

Sure, she had a job to do, but in essence, others would be protecting her while she sat safely by and watched them get hurt. It was almost selfish, the way she felt disappointed at how she wasn't going to get a chance to fight for herself, but she at least did understand why she was giving it up.

Sort of.

She still didn't think that she was the best person for the job.

"I'm, uh…not going to the frontlines," Sakura replied to her smiling friend, pulling at the material of her glove almost sheepishly at the self-centred thoughts raging inside her head.

Tenten's expression fell immediately, and quickly became one of confusion and indignation- her eyes creasing in preparation of complaining on the pinkette's behalf.

"I'm not particularly sure if I'm allowed to talk about it yet," Sakura muttered, wondering whether it would matter. The unit would probably get assembled that day, so what would it affect the situation if one person knew? "I've been assigned a division in Combative Toxins."

The other girl's eyes widened in surprise at the news, and she had to blink for a moment to fully register what had been said.

"You've got your own division?" Tenten asked, a smile crawling across her lips. After receiving the pinkette's unsure nod, the girl leapt forward and slung her free arm around Sakura's shoulders. "That's awesome! Congratulations!"

Sakura couldn't exactly return the joy, and slickly prised herself out of her Tenten's offending arm, whilst muttering her protests .

"It's not out of my overall talents as a shinobi," she assured the other girl, who quietened down to listen properly. Sakura, now knowing that she had full attention, crossed her arms across her chest in discomfort. "The Allied Forces have been targeted by the poison-based talents of an enemy you might briefly remember- Akasuna no Sasori."

The girl frowned as she scoured her mind and memories for any recognition attached to the name. Finally, she lit back up with an 'o' shape to her mouth and she stared at Sakura for a moment as she began to piece the pieces together.

"He's the Akatsuki guy you and the Elder Chiyou fought and killed, right?" Tenten asked, obviously recalling her own experiences during their retrieval mission for Gaara. "So you're supposed to stop his poison, then?"  
The pinkette nodded, her frown spreading across her face at the thought of what her mission was actually going to entail. There was no doubt that she trusted her skills in the medical area, but when it came to a man who was renowned for his absolute and delicate expertise, her confidence couldn't help but fade.

"That's the general idea," she muttered, turning away slightly. Around her, the night shift workers of the medic camp were retiring to their beds- their jobs completed for the time being. Then there were people like her, who had spent the night in a restless sleep and were _not _ready to be working another hard day but would have to do so anyway. "I'm confused though, Tenten. The first poison he used was a little bit…_too_ similar to the poison he used when we first associated with him years ago. But he wouldn't do that deliberately though, because he would've _known _that there were people who could counter it."

Tenten's expression was thoughtful, but it was obvious to anyone that she was too weary from the earlier day's events to think properly.

"Maybe he thought that you had died and there _was _nobody else who could stop it?" She suggested helpfully, raising her eyebrows in appraisal.

"No, he wouldn't risk failing to achieve something over an assumption of my death," Sakura shook her head firmly, knowing that Sasori was too strict and tightly-planned to allow such a gamble. "Besides, I'm not the only one who knows the cure to his original poison now- I passed the antidote onto the Suna healers and with the Allied Forces forming, all medical techniques would be getting exchanged."

Or, she thought silently as she cast a look around at her fellow healers from varying villages, that was the plan at least. Doesn't mean that a certain village wouldn't be exceptionally secretive about an extra-powerful medic ability.

Heck, even Tsunade, who Sakura would defend to the end of the earth, probably was with-holding certain techniques from the other villages out of suspicion.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed a disturbance in the crowd around her of moving shinobi; some were blinking in surprise whereas others were just moving out the way to allow a figure by easily.

"Kazekage-sama," she blinked in shock at the sudden reappearance of the man from the night earlier, who had unwittingly helped her heal the poisoned shinobi. Her head bowed in respect, and she noticed Tenten doing the same thing out of the corner of her eye. She rose to see the redhead standing with a little bit more firmness to his straight posture. "What are you here?"

The pinkette scowled to herself at how arrogant her comment probably sounded- it wasn't unusual for the Regimental Leader to make routine check-ups in his own camps. The redhead, however, didn't seem to notice nor particularly care about how her comment sounded, as he stared at her for a moment and then turned briskly to Tenten.

"I apologize, but I need to show Haruno-san to her duties," Gaara stoically told the weapons master, who didn't seem too fazed about the situation. "Please excuse us."

Without any further ado, he turned around and began to stride away, his entire demeanour acting as a gesture that Sakura should follow him.

The pinkette's eye twitched in annoyance; his brusque manner irritating, but she knew that it wasn't exactly his fault. Knowing what she did of his young childhood, he wouldn't have been taught the polite social behaviours that everyone else was. Besides, now that he was Kazekage and in such a high position of leadership, he would obviously be used to everyone following his command swiftly.

She understood. But that didn't make her any less annoyed.

"Get your arm healed, okay? See you later, Tenten!" Sakura bowed slightly in a dismissive gesture, and then began to jog away to catch up to the retreating back of her superior.

The weapon's master watched her for a moment, before waving energetically in reply.

"See you, Combative Toxins leader!"

* * *

It was wrong.

His precise fingers stilled over the concoction, but his wrist twitched as his ever-observing brown eyes noted the ingredients boiling below him. Tilting his head, he counted them over in his mind; the extremely advanced inner-working system he possessed inside his thoughts examining and pairing the components to the poison he was creating with the effects that they would cause.

_Redbark Marrow, known for its sedative qualities._

The first ingredient he had put it, and he could almost imagine how his opponent would find it first in the recipe she would compile of the poison's components. He hoped that she would discover the hidden message in its addition to his concoction.

The sedative component of the poison was a little message of understood what would be occurring around her at that moment; her duties would be involving him and he doubted she would have gotten much rest.

That just simply wouldn't do; he needed an opponent who was at her fullest potential. And she'd had years since their previous encounter; if she wasn't at her fullest potential…then she was the only one to blame.

But, as he looked down among the ingredients of his recipe, he saw a displeasing quality in the mixture.

_Viridian Salt, known for the extreme swelling effect it causes upon entering the body._

His teeth parted, and a slight hissing sound exited his mouth. The man's back straightened, and he raised his head from the concoction with his eyes scanning his surroundings carefully.

There; he easily located the culprit of his failed mixture.

"Hey, Sasori no Danna!" A bird was in the man's hand, and the very sight of it caused the puppeteer's eyes to narrow in annoyance. Just its presence repulsed him- let alone the nerve of its creator to deem it as artistic. "What's taking so long, yeah? Come on, we're going to get sent out soon!"

Sasori watched his company for another moment, as though wondering what to do, when a fitting idea entered his mind. Wordlessly, he picked up the fragile vial on the rack that contained the soiled concoction, and began to walk over to the blonde man.

"Deidara," he softly replied, and halted in his movements as he reached the man who was sprawled lazily across two chairs with his cloak half open and baring the ninja netting across his midriff. "What…is this?"

The bomber turned his attention to the vial in his partner's hand, and a worried expression crossed his face for a moment, before it was wiped clean into a false show of innocence.

"What're you asking me that for, hey Danna?" Deidara asked in fake nonchalance, and directed his gaze to an empty spot on the wall opposite him. The puppeteer almost marvelled at how the blonde could lie perfectly well at times and pathetically at others. "It's just the poison you're making. Isn't it the sedative, hidden killing weapon, yeah?"

"Don't waste my time for I am not a patient man," Sasori replied quietly, with a dangerously calm edge to his tone where he would usually hold anger in his present situation. But there was no need for ire when the mistake was about to be repaid.

He flicked his fingers and three chakra strings emerged from his leftmost fingers; two of them pinning the blonde man down against the chair he was in, and the third wrapping around his neck and positioning it over the edge of the back rest. The bomber's mouth opened in shock, and he struggled in vain; trying to use his legs as leverage to no avail.

"What the hell, Danna?!" Deidara asked as he thrashed around violently. Managing to maintain a level of elegance even as he prised open the mouth of his partner, the puppeteer held the vial to the blonde's lips. "What are you doing-umph!"

The brat was cut off as the liquid in the vial was poured down his throat with a harsh, deliberate manner. As soon as every drop was inside his mouth, the vial was removed.

The boy immediately tried to splutter the dose out of him, but two long and surprisingly strong fingers gripped his lips tightly and closed his mouth shut- preventing him from spilling the poisonous concoction. Two other fingers pinched his nostrils firmly and effectively blocked all airways.

"You tell me if _this _is a 'sedative, hidden killing weapon' or whether it's a concoction that you deliberately ruined," Sasori muttered with a lethally sharp edge to his voice, and finally the bomber was unable to hold his breath any longer and swallowed the dosage unwillingly. Immediately, the puppeteer released him, and left the boy spluttering for air behind him as he strode back over to his desk.

He would have to create another copy of the dosage. Oh, how he hated repetition.

"Danna, what the hell?!" The call came from over at the source of his earlier fury, though his anger had now calmed at having achieved revenge.

Sasori didn't even grant his foolish partner a single glance as he began his next potion. He picked up the bustle of Harrow's Grass and resumed his work.

"Reap what you sow, brat."

* * *

No matter how many times she saw it, the main building of Headquarters always managed to rob Sakura of her breath. It was not only the pure visage of such a giant structure basically carved into the mountain-side, but also the very symbol it represented.

The headquarters of the largest combined force of shinobi the established village-based world had ever seen.

Her hands were clasped behind her back; her fingers clenched tightly around each other, and she realised that there was a thin sheen of sweat building around the hotspots of her body.

The cause of it stood before her in a large crowd of shinobi. Her eyes scanned the faces she saw, and a few of them were already familiar whereas others she had to commit to memory and try to remember.

Despite that, one thing was painfully clear as she gazed out at the people that she was going to be leading in this specialised unit.

She was the youngest medic there.

"We appreciate that you have all acquiesced to being agreed to this unit quickly and without complaint," Gaara, who stood commandingly beside her, began formally. "You have all been told as to the circumstances that have led you here, and what will be expected of you."

Well, that was news.

She was expecting that topic to be the first one broached by her new unit members the moment they were left alone. Sakura turned her gaze to Gaara with an almost questioning look in her eyes, but it was tactfully ignored by the Regimental Leader who was busy watching the crowd.

"Beside me is Haruno Sakura; your unit commander," the redhead continued, not meeting the pinkette's eyes. Every member in the crowd turned and watched her, and the pinkette noted that the sheen of sweat managed to intensify. "She may be young, but she has already assisted in the first defeat of your main enemy. She possesses vital knowledge of the behaviour of this man, and her expertise will benefit you all greatly in the trials to come."

The medics nodded in acceptance, their curiosity of having such a young girl as their leader now sated, and their expression turned to the business in front of them.

Sensing the change in mood, the Kazekage crossed his arms and overlooked them all for a moment before his stoic emotion softened.

"We are counting on your help," Gaara finished his speech softly, though everyone was capable of hearing his words.

He nodded once, before turning to the woman beside him, who was watching with an expression of wonder.

How could this man, who would usually show such a stoic mask, be capable of inducing such an emotive reaction from the people he led? It was almost bewildering to her how people, who would at first glance be unsuitable for the positions of leadership, usually would become the best candidates for the job.

"And now we wait," Sakura smiled wryly at him, putting her hands on her hips and positioning her weight to one side of her body for better comfort.

The redhead turned to look at her, and his head lowered so that he could survey her better. His green eyes narrowed upon seeing her bright, honest face and demeanour that absolutely reeked of innocence. Unbidden, the image of her standing against him many years ago returned to his mind, but he swiftly pushed that memory to the back of his thoughts.

She had grown. He had to give her that, but as he watched her standing with a hip tilted to the side in a posture that disguised the nerves she felt, he couldn't help but notice how very similar she still was to the girl he had first encountered.

And she noticed his expression too, for it was one that she had grown quite used to receiving. All through her genin years, and even sometimes it still was directed towards her in a fashion that she was beginning to hate.

Doubt. It was written all over his face.

"You don't think I can do this," Sakura softly broke their silence, averting her gaze slightly so that she could watch as her medics chatted among themselves. She didn't blame Gaara, as she didn't even know whether she was capable with succeeding in the division as its leader.

But if being a student of the Godaime had taught her anything, it was that she despised losing, and giving up without actually trying was the worst kind of loss.

"Being a leader…is difficult," Gaara replied as he surveyed her carefully. He didn't confirm her words, but he wasn't denying them either, which was something that Sakura could respect. "It will take its toll, Haruno-san, and people will seek to blame you for defeat."

She nodded, understanding perfectly well that he was speaking from his own experience, and was trying to prepare her for what she was undoubtedly going to face the moment something went wrong.

"I know that, and I don't know if I'm going to be able to deal with it well," the pinkette admitted, her gaze softening at the thought of what was going to come, "But if doing this is going to protect Naruto, then it's a small price to pay."

The Kazekage blinked in surprise, not expecting such a reaction from the woman before him. From the moment he had first seen her, he had realised that she held too much empathy for her own good, at that she was rather sensitive. And in the mind of a child raised under the strict ways of Suna, sensitivity made one weak.

But now he was realising that that wasn't the case.

_She may very well be the right person for this,_ he thought to himself, not wanting to say it aloud and give the girl too much confidence that could become arrogance. That was not the right mindset to be in when dealing with a master manipulator.

"Many leaders of certain divisions will be stationed in the Headquarters," the redhead informed her, allowing a slight edge of concern to enter his voice. He knew her position and he understood how daunting the task ahead of her was. "If you need advice, they will be available."

"Thank you, Kazekage-sama," Sakura bowed her head in response and Gaara couldn't help the slight annoyance he felt at being addressed by his formal title. They were both leaders now, and there would need to a stronger sense of camaraderie between them both- not that there hadn't been before, but it was officially going to have to strengthen from here onwards. The people would be looking towards them as a sign of example, especially since quite a few of the medics in the new unit were from Suna.

This was a sign of not only a bond between two Division leaders, but also between Konoha and Suna themselves. They would have to show that they could coexist on a good level for the alliance to remain firm after the war.

And that couldn't happen if there was still a –sama suffix attached to every title she addressed him by.

But as he watched the medics chatter in anticipation, he knew that such a matter could wait. There were more important things to deal with, such as taking the unit to their assigned area and settling their leader into the process of being in charge.

"I have faith that this will succeed," he muttered aloud, crossing his arms over his chest in his usual position as he cast a glance to the kunoichi.

The pinkette's gaze hardened in determination, and she raised a clenched fist to show to probably boost her own morale.

"I agree," she told him with a nod, "Besides, I'm not going to let Sasori get off so easily from everything that he's done. I'm not going down without a fight."

A small smile pulled at his lips at her attitude that began to remind him of Naruto, but her words managed turn his expression into a frown. He stared at her intently, wondering to himself whether she truly was prepared to once more engage in direct battle with the most powerful puppeteer that Suna had ever seen.  
"None of us would ever think that you would give up, Haruno-san," Gaara replied, before shifting his gaze further into the crowd of shinobi she would be commanding. "But I suspect that is exactly what Akasuna no Sasori is expecting."

* * *

The sun was beating down furiously, and the high walls of the protective boundary around the camp did nothing to shield them from the heat. Whatever small trees that remained in the flat area were flimsy and too thin to provide any adequate shelter.

Despite that, medics were hardy people, and even though they were sweltering in the heat produced by the long over-robes they wore, they refused to let anything distract them from their duty.

"And we'll be needing a few more tables set over here," the voice came from the pink-haired kunoichi, who had discarded her irritating blue robe and was settling to direct her shinobi in her usual frontline attire. Her gloved hand pointed over to the corner of the tent, where two medics swiftly carried the table over. "Great!"

She clasped her hands together and quickly rummaged over in her mind as to what she was going to need when the time to work came. Frowning, her eyes scanned the large tent and fussily straightened up the pile of paper seated on the bench aligned to the wall of the interior space.

"Haruno-sama?" The pinkette nearly did a double take at the new title, but then quickly calmed herself. She really had to get used to this, and she suspected that it was going to take a while.

Whirling around, she saw a young medic of Kirigakure standing idly by with an expectant expression on his face. His face was smooth, but surprisingly naïve for a medic of Kiri. He was three years her senior, but he was too polite to mention it.

"What else shall I do?" The man, she vaguely called his name to be Shoutaku, smiled patiently at her as he awaited further instructions.

The woman glanced around, mentally ticking off her check list and questioning just what exactly she did need. She'd made sure that her tents would have every possible resource that was needed when her first victims entered and her help was required. But surely there had to be something…one small tiny thing that she was missing…

"Water!" Sakura gasped, astonished at how easily she had forgotten it. Leaping around to the other side of the table, she pulled out two buckets and hurriedly took it over to the waiting medic. "If you wouldn't mind, would you also be able to deliver another bucket of water to the main medic camp on your way?"

The man smiled at her habitual need and politeness to actually ask him to do something for her- she was his leader, and so he effectively _had _to do whatever she asked him.

"Of course, Haruno-sama," he nodded and proceeded to take the buckets from her hands before exiting the tent.

He flinched instinctively as the rays of the sun fell upon his eyes that had grown accustomed to the diluted light of a tent, but he was swift to blink the discomfort away. His hands tightened around the edge of the buckets he carried, and he made his way over towards the gates of the medic camp.

To his knowledge, there was a small river just outside of the camp; as the Headquarters and main medical facilities had to be strategically placed near a vital water source. He had seen the river upon entering the camp for the first time, and so knew how to find it quite easily.

Shoutaku waved politely at the two mandatory guards minding the entrance to the gate and passed through without issue. Throughout the day, the members of the C.T unit had been hearing reports of varying credibility of the events occurring on the frontlines, but the theme was that the attacks had been lacking in substance during the day.

Many were taking this as a positive sign; assuming that their forces had been strong enough to cripple the enemy's attacks for now. But the opposite end of the scale was to assume that the enemy were actually preparing for something stronger…meaning that there was much more to come.

But that wasn't Shoutaku's job.

"Ah, the river!" He grinned to himself as he approached the water's edge dropped to his knees easily to begin filling up the buckets of water. The rim of the bucket fell beneath the gently rippling wave and the edges became stained a darker shade as it took in the liquid.

The medic sat in silence, though he was quite grateful for the covering of the trees behind him that soared into the air and sheltered his back and bared neck from the harshness of the sun. He could faintly hear the sound of birds singing, which was a good sign for being out in the wilds alone, as it usually would signify that there were no loud enemies nearby.

"Excuse me?"

The voice was calm and rather smooth; the voice one would expect of a trained member of nobility. And as the medic turned around, it was made apparent to him that the new person in his company was quite obviously a member of nobility.

Another man had entered the clearing and the medic was struck by his sheer utter beauty- for it was the sort of elegance and beauty that usually was not so befitting of a man. There was a sort of fixed way about his eyes; as though they were constantly narrowed despite the giveaway paleness of the renowned Byakugan of Konoha.

"You're a Hyuuga?" Shoutaku asked curiously, as he set the now filled first bucket of water off to the side. "Aren't you supposed to be on the frontlines?"  
The man watched him for a moment, as though deliberating whether to talk properly or not, before sighing gently to himself.

"I need medical assistance," the Hyuuga replied as he crossed his arms with a stoic expression on his face. "Where is the medical camp from here?"

Shoutaku took a moment to register this; realising that the man had been injured and needed assistance. He nodded and stood from where he had been sitting and picked up the bucket of water that had been filled as he went.

"Sorry! I didn't realise!" The medic grinned sheepishly as he approached the Hyuuga, and stopped just beside him. "The camp is just through those trees and down the nearest path. You'll see the gates quite easily soon."

The Hyuuga was silent- and the medic was left feeling quite invisible despite the fact that he had been engaged in some manner of conversation with his present company- but the man then nodded in acceptance.  
"Thank you for that," he said, before turning his gaze down towards the bucket of water in the medic's hands. "Do you need to take that anywhere in particular?"  
"Ah, yes!" Shoutaku nodded, and then realised his opportunity. "Excuse me, Hyuuga-san, but if your arms aren't injured, would you mind dropping this off at the main medic camp for me?"

If the medic had been more observant, perhaps he might have noticed as the man seemed to smile slightly in response before agreeing.

* * *

Gaara of the Sand had not expected the day to be so relaxed.

Not only had he experienced something that had come dangerously close to leisure, but the forces that he had been so worried for in his absence had not come under direct attack. He knew that could change quickly, but he was admittedly grateful for the fact that they had not suffered without him.

After setting up the Combative Toxins unit, he had retired back to his tent, and awaited the reports of the various divisions. He was pleased to see that the various Divisions had not suffered as horrible as he thought that they would and that the enemy was lying quite low during the day despite the heavy attacks that they had faced yesterday.

Perhaps things would now settle into a rhythm that they would be able to manage.

Or so he thought.

"Kazekage-sama!" The flap of his tent swung open, and a messenger entered with a worried expression on his face. "It's the patients in the medic camp! Something's wrong with them!"

Gaara stood and immediately began to suspect that something was amiss; but then he stopped himself. He listened to the details of the current condition of the patients from the messenger, and then knew that his suspicion was correct.

Really? Could it be happening so soon after the establishment of the unit?

But then again, from what he knew of the man, Akasuna no Sasori was not a man known for his patience.

"Take the patients to the Combative Toxins unit."

There was nothing that Gaara would be able to do from that moment. For now, the lives of the patients would be resting in the hands of Sakura Haruno.

* * *

Author's Notes- PLEASE READ

So...this chapter was over 10000 words. I actually intended it to be longer, but if I went on any longer it would have gotten near to 20000 words, so I decided it would be easier to cut it in half.

In other news, I will be publishing two upcoming stories soon.

SasorixSakuraxGaara pairing- **The Basis of Mortality** (in which the new candidates for all Kage positions are being decided at a Kage Summit, and Sakura sees an all too familiar face of a man who had a deal to make with her.)

SasorixSakuraxSasuke pairing-** The Icarus Project** (in which AU Sakura is targeted online by a very advanced virus. As time progresses, she realises that the virus is personalised, and seriously is accessing all sorts of information about her. Then the messages start; a twisted form of communication through her own computer; messages that tell her things about her family, her friends and her life that even she didn't know. "Didn't your father ever tell you that the sun would burn your wings, little girl?"

Keep a look out for them, and please continue to support my work! Please review and give me feedback!

Next chapter: Sasori's second attack (the silent, sedative killer that Deidara mentioned. And yes, you will find out what happened with Deidara :) Sasori is mean to him.

**As a warning, I tend not to update unless I get at least around 10 reviews, because that number gives me a decent amount of feedback to shape the next chapter. **

**2 reviews to go! :) **


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